1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image photographing apparatus for converting an image obtained through an optical lens into an electric signal and outputting it.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a camera apparatus using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), an image photographed through an optical lens is imaged on the CCD and is converted into an electric signal, and it is outputted at timing corresponding to a TV system. In this camera apparatus, according to design of an optical system of the lens, there is also a case in which up-and-down and right-and-left relation in imaging is inverted. In general, a lens for a video camera is designed so that such a case does not occur.
However, in lenses which are not originally designed for video cameras, such as a lens for a movie film, there is also such a lens that up-and-down and right-and-left relation in imaging becomes inverted. In the case where such a lens is desired to be used in a video camera, it is necessary to use it after some conversion is performed.
As this kind of technique, conventionally, a technique for inverting right-and-left relation is well known. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 78909/1994 discloses an image processing technique for inverting right-and-left relation of a radiation image of a human body obtained through X ray. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 191185/1998 discloses a technique and a camera using a line memory to obtain a mirror image signal in which right-and-left relation is inverted. However, both of the publications do not disclose an image processing technique for inverting up-and-down and right-and-left relation of an image.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining a conventional image photographing apparatus. In this image photographing apparatus, an image captured through a lens 1 is projected onto a screen SC of an optical conversion adapter ADP, and is sent to CCDs 2R, 2G, and 2B of a video camera main body 10 in a state inverted in up-and-down and right-and-left relation through a conversion lens CL.
However, an image photographing apparatus like this has such a large-scale structure that an image photographed through a lens is once imaged on a screen in a conversion adapter, and it is again inverted through a conversion lens, so that the apparatus becomes difficult to use in view of its size and weight. Besides, since the conversion lens is interposed, there also occurs a problem of deterioration in resolution.
The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems and provides an image photographing apparatus. That is, the image photographing apparatus of the invention comprises an optical lens for converging an image of an object to be captured, a photoelectric conversion portion for receiving the image converged through the optical lens and for converting it into an electric signal, and an image processing portion for electrically performing, on the basis of an inversion/non-inversion control signal, an inversion/non-inversion processing of positional relation which is in the electric signal obtained through conversion at the photoelectric conversion portion and which is at a time when the image was received.
In the present invention like this, the image captured through the optical lens is converted into the electric signal at the photoelectric conversion portion, and the positional relation which is in the electric signal obtained through conversion at the photoelectric conversion portion and which is at the time when the image was captured is subjected to the inversion/non-inversion processing at the image processing portion. That is, in the case where an inversion signal is inputted to the image processing portion, the positional relation in the electric signal at the time of capture of the image, which was obtained through conversion at the photoelectric conversion portion, is inverted, and in the case where a non-inversion signal is inputted, the electric signal obtained through conversion at the photoelectric conversion portion is outputted as it is. By this, it becomes possible to electrically perform the inversion/non-inversion of an image according to the kind of the optical lens.